Thursday, December 9, 2010

Every year, the American Planning Association unveils Great Places in America -- "30 places with a true sense of place, noteworthy character, community involvement, resilience, and a vision for the future." APA has specific criteria about what makes neighborhoods, streets, and public places truly great, and these are worth sharing because they help define what makes place Place.

What sets a Great Neighborhood apart from a non-Neighborhood? A Great Neighborhood:

Has a variety of functional attributes that contribute to a resident's day-to-day living (i.e. residential, commercial, or mixed-uses).

Is well maintained, and capable of being maintained without excessive costs.

Has a memorable character.

Finally, what are the characteristics of a Great Public Space?

Promotes human contact and social activities.

Is safe, welcoming, and accommodating for all users.

Has design and architectural features that are visually interesting.

Promotes community involvement.

Reflects the local culture or history.

Relates well to bordering uses.

Is well maintained.

Has a unique or special character.

It is noteworthy that whether judging a street, a neighborhood, or a public space, APA looks for memorability and the fostering of social engagement. For more on APA's guidelines for great places and neighborhoods, visit http://www.planning.org/.

PLACES

PLACE

A space that is an integral part and an extension of thenatural world around it, yet reveals the individuality of those who reside there and allows people to interact meaningfully to create a deep sense of belonging.

Marilyn FinnemoreImportance of Place

NO-PLACE

Spaces of such temporary, transient activity as to not have the significance to be regarded as “places”; coined by French anthropologist Marc Augé, who wrote Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity (1995). “Marc Augé coined the term . . . to describe specific kinds of spaces . . . designed to be passed through or consumed rather than appropriated, and retaining little or no trace of our engagement with them.”1